‘Independence Day’ To Become A Trilogy

Independence Day might not just have a sequel in the works, but also a third installment, according to director Roland Emmerich.

The 1996 blockbuster saw the destruction of both the White House and the Empire State buildings by alien invaders. The two new Independence Day movies will be a package deal – ID Forever Part I and ID Forever Part II. They’ll take place 20 years after the original attack and will introduce a second onslaught by aliens.

”The humans knew that one day the aliens would come back,” explained the director, who completed two scripts with Independence Day co-writer Dean Devlin, according to Entertainment Weekly. ”And they know that the only way you can really travel in space is through wormholes. So for the aliens, it could take two or three weeks, but for us that’s 20 or 25 years.”

Currently, Emmerich is hard at work with an art department staff to brainstorm on what the world of ID will look like. He’s looking to see what alien technology would have found its way into human technology, and how it can be visualized on screen. Emmerich is also trying to lock down actors. So far, Bill Pullman is committed to returning to the franchise, but Will Smith has yet to confirm that he’ll participate.

Although the director is eager to get original Independence Day actors on board, the film will follow a younger generation. And regardless, Emmerch has his two-part story ready to go. “The first one ends on a little success, but only enough to give the humans hope, he teased. “And then in the second one they free themselves again [from the aliens].”

Emmerich’s latest blockbuster, White House Down, hits theaters June 28.